John Cooper Clarke Now Added To The Hugh 'N' Hazel London Gig

The great John Copper Clarke has now been added to Hugh's Electric Ballroom gig on 4th December. As for Hugh and Hazel, is this an opportunity for a duet with a difference. The Peters and Lee on punk rock springs to mind!

Glasgow Apollo 7th October 1979 - NEW LINK

Here's a re-functioning link to gig that I posted back in January 2013 and now reposted on it 35th birthday (albeit plus a few hours). Last week I had a request for some more Scottish gigs from Si in Falkirk, so this is for him.

FLAC: http://we.tl/7LUpetcyBX

1. 5 Minutes
2. Shah Shah A Go Go
3. Ice
4. Down In The Sewer
5. Hanging Around
6. The Raven
7. Dead Loss Angeles
8. Threatened
9. Curfew
10. Tank
11. Burning Up Time
12. Bring On The Nubiles
13. Nuclear Device
14. Genetix
15. I Feel Like A Wog
16. Duchess
17. Toiler On The Sea

Norfolk Coast Radio Promos 2004

Widely regarded as the first and assured step out of a creative wilderness, 2004's 'Norfolk Coast' blew away the accumulated cobwebs of the previous 10 years. From the opening bars of the title track, it was clear that the band had gone back to the drawing board and returned with something very satisfactory. The elements that made that 'Stranglers sound' were resurrected, Dave's keyboard swirls, JJ's trademark bass rumble and a guitar sound that was at once reassuringly familiar and made even the most jaded old Stranglers fan's head turn.

And key to this about turn was simply that JJ regained interest in the band, and that is what was required.

As the press release at the time put it (and interestingly my comments above were written before I read the release!):

'The lead track off the album, 'Norfolk Coast' typifies all he distinctive signatures of a classic Stranglers song and sets the mood for this quintessential album, which travels through hi-speed rock, driving rhythms, anthemic melodies and occasional, off-the-wall quirkiness Trademark Stranglers qualities, including JJ Burnel's rumbling bass and Dave Greenfield's distinctive keyboard sounds, are captured on record as never before'.

Here's a selection of radio interviews conducted at the time to promote the album.

FLAC: http://we.tl/O3ctwwqP5i

NEW LINK - Palasport Parma Italy 3rd July 1980

A repost at the request of Michele from Parma.

Enjoy!

FLAC: http://we.tl/XumYfn9FCn

Please see original 1980 post for artwork.

Manchester Apollo 28th September 1978

'You want some?'

Hi, thanks to Dom P, here's a remastered, cleaned up version of a gig that I posted early on in the life of this blog. Then it was posted as a pre-Convention appetiser when the band were to run through the 'Black & White' album.

This resurrection of the link marks the 36th anniversary of the gig. Half way through the set, the band brush aside their earlier material in favour of the new album and they play a full eight new tracks.

Back in November, an anonymous contributor posted the following comment about the gig and I think it is worth repeating here:

'This was the only gig, other than the Battersea Park one a couple of weeks earlier, where the band were joined by strippers on stage during 'Nice & Sleazy'. The local constabulary were present inside the venue (as referenced by Cornwell during the performance), & this (along with heavy handed treatment from the bouncers) antagonised the crowd who started ripping up seats & throwing them into the orchestra pit before clambering over them to get on to the stage, at which point the band were forced to end the gig prematurely. A classic gig, that was!'

FLAC: http://we.tl/lwBWQGr8L2

1. Ugly
2. I Feel Like A Wog
3. Burning Up Time
4. Bring On The Nubiles
5. Hanging Around
6. Princess Of The Streets
7. London Lady
8. No More Heroes
9. Curfew
10. Do You Wanna
11. Death And Night And Blood
12. Nice 'N' Sleazy
13. Threatened
14. Sweden
15. Tank
16. Five Minutes
17. Toiler On The Sea

Canterbury Odeon 25th September 1977

37 years ago this week The Stranglers rolled into this quiet corner of Kent on the 'No More Heroes' tour. Sadly, this is only a partial set (the intro to London Lady is the last thing to be heard before the tape cuts) but what was captured is the band in fine punk form. The playing is brutal, characterised by an aggression that probably peaked for the band a little later in 1978.

FLAC: http://we.tl/MredXyVZOO

Artwork: http://we.tl/OLYE3v1uHn

01. Ugly
02. Straighten Out
03. Bring On The Nubiles
04. Sometimes
05. Dagenham Dave
06. Dead Ringer
07. Hanging Around
08. Something Better Change
09. Bitching
10. I Feel Like A Wog
11. Five Minutes
12. Burning Up Time

P.S. Here's details of the full set played on the night (thanks to SmallPaul on the B.U.T Forum)

Ugly
Straighten Out
Bring On The Nubiles
Sometimes
Dagenham Dave
Dead Ringer
Hanging Around
Something Better Change
Bitching
I Feel Like A Wog
5 Minutes
Burning Up Time
London Lady
No More Heroes
Encore:
Grip
Down In The Sewer

Hugh Cornwell The Citadel St Helens 6th July 2013

Here's a Hugh set from last year's Totem and Taboo tour.... featuring a couple of track from 'The Raven' if we want to stay on topic!

Thanks to wegga66 for permission to share this recording!

MP3 (as received): http://we.tl/aqkA7QnRyI

Artwork: http://we.tl/H1gROBFu1G

01. Totem And Taboo
02. Nice 'N' Sleazy
03. The Face
04. Nuclear Device
05. I Want One Of Those
06. Duchess
07. Stuck In Daily Mail Land
08. Hanging Around
09. Bad Vibrations
10. Skin Deep
11. God Is A Woman
12. Golden Brown
13. Love Me Slender
14. Grip
15. God, Guns And Gays
16. Always The Sun
17. A Street Called Carroll
18. In The Dead Of Night
19. Walk On By
20. No More Heroes